Open Your Heart to God in the Season of Lent

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Growing up in a Protestant family and a secular culture, I thought of Lent as an unfortunate burden for my Roman Catholic friends. The only time I ever used the word “Lent” was in a joke. If, while playing football with my friends, I kept dropping the ball, I might have said, “Man, I’ve gotta stop fumbling the ball. I’m going to give up fumbling for Lent!” That sorry attempt at a joke revealed the extent of my understanding of Lent, which wasn’t much! Lent was a time when some Christians had to give up things, like eating meat. If you had asked me why people did this, I would have told you that it was part of the legalistic Catholic tradition. That’s all I knew.

I now know that some strands of Protestant Christianity also acknowledged Lent during the years of my youthful ignorance, even though my evangelical community never considered it. In fact, I expect that, had I thought about it, I would have regarded Lent as the kind of Pharisaic pietism that is inconsistent with gospel-centered faith. I no longer see Lent this way. (Although it is important to note that nothing in Scripture requires Christians to practice Lent, and that, like any religious practice, Lent can become laden with graceless legalism.)

In the last three decades of my life, I have discovered that Lent can be a season for spiritual growth and refreshment. Above all, Lent is a time of preparation, a six-week season for readying our hearts for a deeper and truer experience of Christ’s passion and resurrection. The chief purpose of Lent is to help us know God more profoundly as we celebrate the amazing news of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Since recognizing Lent, I have indeed experienced this very thing.

Lenten practices vary widely among Christians. Historically, the season of Lent has been a time of fasting, a time for giving up something enjoyable in order to focus more fully on God. Other Christians, however, have stressed taking on a seasonal spiritual discipline during Lent, rather than giving up something. Many churches sponsor special Lenten Bible studies or service opportunities. Individual Christians often use Lenten-themed materials for their personal devotions.

The point of Lenten practices, however, is not in the giving up or the adding on. It’s in what happens inside of us through these practices. They are meant to help us focus more fully on God. Fasting for Lent makes us more aware of our neediness for the Lord. Lenten disciplines draw our attention to him. Thus, the point of Lent is to respond with greater intentionality to the invitation in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Lent is a time to come before God with consistency, to open your heart to his mercy, to make yourself available to his grace. No matter what you do or don’t do during the weeks before Good Friday and Easter, I would urge you to draw near to God regularly so that you might be renewed in your relationship with him and so that you might be ready to experience more deeply and truly the passion and resurrection of Christ.

Something to Think About:

How have you thought about or experienced Lent in the past? What about now?

Do you see Lent as a season in which you might draw near to God?

Something to Do:

You may already have decided what, if anything, you will do differently during Lent. You may have chosen to give something up or to take on an additional discipline. But if you’re wondering about what you might do (or not do) and why (or why not), you might find helpful an article I wrote called, “How Lent Can Make A Different in Your Relationship with God.”

Prayer:

Gracious God, I need the encouragement of Lent right now. It is so easy for my life to become full of everything except you. My concentration can be scattered, my attentiveness to your Spirit dampened. So, I am grateful for a Christian tradition that interrupts my status quo and calls me back to you. Thank you.

I do not want this season to be a time of going through the motions, let alone a time for legalism that draws my heart away from you. May the things I do and the things I refrain from doing be channels of attention and grace. May they help me to focus on you, opening my heart to all that you would do in me.

Above all, may I draw near to you in these days. To be sure, I should do this all the time. I know that. But something about setting aside a special season helps me to remember you and to approach you. How grateful I am for the invitation to come before you and for your promise of mercy and grace!

All praise be to you, O God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Explore more at the Theology of Work Project online commentary:
Life in the Wilderness: Journey to the New World (Hebrews 3:7–4:16)